


Don't Say Yes, Let's Run Away Now

by EstherRomanov



Category: One Direction (Band), Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Songfic, Speak Now by Taylor Swift, different POVs, wedding au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 04:49:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10506612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstherRomanov/pseuds/EstherRomanov





	

_Taylor_

“So, here’s my plan,” a tall, blonde girl announces to her squad when they are gathered in her hotel suite. She points to a whiteboard behind her with doodles nobody else understands. “At the church, I will sneak in to the pew and when Eleanor begins to walk down the aisle, I will grab the microphone and sing. She’ll be distracted and when she looks up at me, all eyes are, she will realize that I’m the one she loves and we’ll run away together.” 

“How romantic,” Cara deadpans, no one knows if she’s being sarcastic or not. 

“How would you exactly run away?”Ellie asks. “Also, how would you manage to sneak in? There would be so much press. It’s the wedding of the century, they said. And may I remind you that Louis didn’t give you an invitation.” 

“Because he’s an asshole who couldn’t face the truth that his fiancée loves the girl he loves to hate,” Taylor says with a scoff. “And don’t worry about me sneaking in. Gigi took care of that. And Eleanor and I running away? As soon as I finish my song, Bella and Gigi will grab her to the back of the church. The rest of you will wait in the car for us. Then, poof! We’re gone. And me and Eleanor will live happily, ever after,” she finishes with a dreamy expression. 

Selena rubs at her temples, a terrible headache coming. “Tay, forgive me when I say that your plan is so…” she trails for the best adjective but she couldn’t think of any. 

“Bulletproof?” Taylor suggests hopefully. 

Selena shakes her head and settles for, “Incomplete.” _It will never work,_ she thinks but lets her best friend not hear the truth. 

The pop artist inspects closely the whiteboard behind her again then shrugs. “It will work. I can feel it.” 

“Can’t you just hide behind a curtain then yell ‘I object’ when the priest asks? It will save the whole world from drama and media feast.” 

“And memes,” Cara adds helpfully. 

She shakes her head firmly. “No, not enough, Selena. It’s not enough of a sweeping gesture. I want Eleanor to look at me while I sing my heart out for her and I want to see Louis Tomlinson’s stupid face as he stupidly waits in the aisle. Well, I wouldn’t see his face ‘cause I’ll be looking at my beloved… I’ll just wait for it in Youtube.” 

“Oh, the press,” Kendall moans. “Taylor! Your career!” 

Taylor dismisses it. “They’ll get over it. As if I haven’t faced too many issues in my lifetime that I haven’t overcome. The most the people will think of it is it’s a publicity stunt. They may even find it romantic.” 

“Your image!” Kendall reiterates. “You’re not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in a white-veiled occasion!” 

“And Eleanor is not the kind of lady who should be marrying the wrong one!” Taylor says determinedly. 

“And you’ll drag us into it?” Selena asks. 

“We’re a squad! You’re my friends! Hashtag Squad Goals! It’s all planned out. There’s no backing out now. Help me, please?” 

“You don’t have to beg. Of course, we’ll help you!” Selena exclaims and Taylor runs to her and embraces her. 

“What song will you be singing anyway?” 

Taylor just smiles. “Wait for it.” 

_Harry_

At another hotel next to Taylor’s, Harry manages to pull Liam out of Louis’ bachelor party. He grabs him to his room and locks the door shut. Liam is intoxicated but he registers the surrounding enough that he realizes Niall and Zayn are also there. He hadn’t seen the boys for a very long time but he knows the situation right here is not a call for reunion. Something is wrong. 

“You need to help me,” Harry grits out with a painful grin. “Louis’ best man.” 

Liam slaps his cheeks lightly to focus his brain. He stares at Harry and misunderstands the green-eyed lad’s pained expression. “Hang on, mate. You’re the one that declined Louis’ offer to be his best man. What are you doing? Don’t kidnap me for it.” 

Harry groans. “If I accepted his offer, there’ll be less thrill of what’s going to happen.” 

“What’s going to happen?” Liam asks in confusion. “What is happening?” 

Niall is laughing while Zayn keeps his quiet. 

“Tomorrow,” Harry says then pauses and paces around the room for suspense. He stops in front of the three boys. “Tomorrow, there will be no wedding. Before the church door opens and Eleanor comes in, Louis would be escaping with me at the back door.” 

He lets it hang in the air. Liam is dumbfounded. 

“Does Louis know about this?” he finally asks. 

“No, silly,” Niall says. “Of course, not. He’ll be surprise. Right, Haz?” 

“Right. And you, Liam, will be the one to convince him not to show up to the altar. When you are inside the church before the ceremony starts, tell him that someone is waiting for him at the back door. Throw in some romantic lines for me, will ‘ya? Something like,” he mimics Liam’s voice, “‘Don’t do this, Louis. Someone else is better for you and he’s waiting right outside.’ Or: ‘I know you don’t want to do this. Your time is running out. Run away to the back door now.’ Or: ‘Louis, you’re not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong one.’ Or just say that I’m there. I think that that will work best.” 

“Wait! Wait!” Liam says and waves his hands frantically in the air. “Are you daft? How are you even sure that Louis does not want to marry El?” 

Harry seems offended. “Do you want me to show you all my tattoos to convince you how destined we are for each other? Five years. You are there in every way, Liam! You are our living testimony and here you are asking me if Louis does not want to marry her? She is not good for Louis! I saw her and her snotty little family downstairs and she was yelling at a bridesmaid! She may flaunt down the aisle like a pageant queen but I know he will wish it was me.” 

“Okay, okay! I understand! You love him, he loves you. Larry Stylinson for life, yey,” he sputters in a rush. “But you want to drag the three of us to your stupid plan?” 

Niall laughs again. 

Harry answers, “Actually, Liam. You’re the only one needed for my plan. Niall and Zayn are just here as witnesses. So you three can tell people afterwards that whatever will happen tomorrow is not kidnapping and Louis is in good hands.” 

“Look, Harry. Louis is just upstairs, still in his bachelor party. Maybe you can talk to him now and you can run together tonight,” Liam tries again. “I mean, tomorrow will still be a disaster but at least everyone would be notified by morning that the wedding is off. I will even present myself to the media as your speaker.” 

Harry waves it off immediately. “No, no. Management will cook something up and make it look like Louis and Eleanor will still end up together. I need a plan wherein it’s conspicuous, that the management will not realize it happening, but also loud that the world will understand that the ‘wedding of the century’ is never going to happen and that is because Louis wants to marry another.” He points to himself proudly. 

“There’s no getting out of this, Liam,” Niall sing-songs. 

“Liam, you know how important this is to me. I love him. This wedding may just be a setup but I couldn’t wait anymore until they let us go. And it still hurts to watch him get married to someone else while the world is watching believing that it’s love.” 

The Wolverhampton boy sighs. “Yes, Harry. I understand. Don’t be vexed. I’m actually happy that you are making a big move. I will help. I’m sure your plan will work.” 

“Can I sleep tonight?” Harry teases. 

“Yes, you can. Tomorrow is your big day.” 

“Very well.” Harry straightens up. He notices how Niall crowds Liam’s left side and Zayn reaching for Liam’s right hand. “I will go now and leave the three of you to deal with your unresolved love triangle.” 

_Eleanor_

“What if I don’t show up at all?” Eleanor asks the ceiling as she lies on her bed. 

Gigi, her maid of honor, shots her head from the shower. “What?” 

“I said I won’t show up. When I get in the car, I will tell the driver – no! Beg? Threaten? What’s better?” 

Gigi comes out in nothing but a towel. She sits at the edge of Eleanor’s bed. “Ask?” 

“Yes. I will ask the driver to drop me at the airport then I will fly to America then I will knock at Tay—” 

“No!” Gigi cuts off. “Don’t do that!” 

Eleanor frowns. “I thought you also want me to be free?” 

The model thinks of Taylor’s plans. “Yes, but… but what about the media? I heard a cameraman will stay with you in the car to cover every detail. This wedding will be in every magazine and news articles, remember?” 

“There’s a cameraman? Only one? I could just knock that arsehole dead. Or better yet, he can accompany me to America and help me search for Taylor.” 

_Taylor is here, sweetie,_ Gigi wants to say. _And nobody knows what she is thinking right now, that crazy girl._

“But, El. What about Louis? He doesn’t deserve the embarrassment.” 

“But if I show up, Taylor will go on thinking that I don’t love her!” Eleanor retorts. “Louis will understand. This is all just for show anyway.” 

“That’s it! It’s all just a show. Why don’t you go on with the wedding and very soon the management will reveal the truth to the world? Then you’ll be free.” 

Eleanor becomes sad. “How many more years? How many more cringey and obvious lies? I want my wedding to be real, Gigi. Simple but real. What’s all these nice things for if they’re all fake? I want out.” Then she becomes quiet for a long time. 

“Eleanor? Why are you smiling?” 

“Oh, I was just lost in a daydream. The preacher asks for my vow, and then out of nowhere, Taylor stands up. There’s horrified looks from everyone in the room but she’s only looking at me. She says, ‘Don’t say yes. Run away now. I’ll meet you when you’re out of the church at the back door.’ Something like that.” 

“That’s nice.” Gigi stares at the bride-to-be. She wants to cheer her up but she can’t tell her of the plan. Who knows what she will do? “You know, El. There’s a superstition that if you try your gown before the wedding, the wedding won’t take place. And… you’re gown is just right here. You want to try?” 

“You want me to base my luck on a superstitious belief?” 

“There’s nothing to lose.” 

“And you want me to still walk down the aisle?” 

Gigi doesn’t answer. Eleanor gets up and pulls her expensive wedding gown from the mannequin and puts it on gracelessly, nightgown still underneath. 

“You look beautiful,” Gigi says. 

Eleanor smiles at her. “Thanks.” She looks at herself in the mirror. She’s quiet again. Then, “I think I would walk down the aisle, then when everyone is settled down or when the priest asks me for my vows, I won’t say yes. I will say nothing. I will just run away. What do you think?” 

Gigi thinks that it’s perfect for Taylor’s plans. “Whatever you say, El. It’s your life.” 

_Louis_

“Simple. When the preacher says, ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace’, there will be a silence. There’s my last chance. And I will speak up. I will object to my own wedding, you know, so the whole world would be a witness. Then I would pull Harry from his seat and ask him to marry me instead, so the world will be confirmed of their beliefs.” Louis turns the wedding ring in his hands. It glistens under the bright ceiling lights. 

Contrary to his ex-bandmates’ beliefs, he retired early from the bachelor party. He’s in his suite, ready to sleep. Unlike Taylor, Harry and Eleanor, he is free of worries. 

“Yeah, it’s simple, I like it,” Ed agrees with him. The redhead is hiding since no one knows that he’s participating the wedding. Like Taylor, it is publicly known that he did not receive any invitations. Louis contacted him in secret and told him of his mission for him, which Ed agreed to. He’s been asking Louis if Taylor is not invited for another secret purpose, to which Louis replies that the media will just greedily bite in to every Haylor there will be if she is invited and that will ruin his mood. He couldn’t even bare every gossip and ‘tidbits’ the media spitted out a month before this ‘epic wedding’. Things that doesn’t even revolve around Eleanor and him (i.e., ‘Who will Zayn Malik take as his date at L&E’s wedding?’ ‘Why Steve Aoki won’t attend his pal’s wedding ceremony?’ ‘What is Harry Styles’ reaction to LT’s not inviting Taylor Swift?’) Fuck Haylor. Fuck Haylor hard. 

“Wait, does Harry know you’re here? I’m just asking in case…” 

“No, he does not. Thought I’m recording a new single.” 

“Ah. Pop quiz. What do you do again?” Louis asks Ed who is sleepily tinkering with his phone in the corner. 

“Grab the mic stand from whoever wedding singer your management hired. So when you and Harry are walking to the priest, you’ll have me,” Ed recites. 

“Very good.” He breathes. “Finally. A massive slap to their faces tomorrow but, bah, who gives a damn?” 

“What about Eleanor? Won’t she look… stupid?” 

Louis becomes silent. His forehead creases as he struggles to think. “Bloody hell, I haven’t thought of her. What do I do?” 

Ed just stares at him blankly. “That’s your part of the job. Not mine.” 

_The wedding_

Their plans didn’t work out as they hoped to be. But they all managed to ruin the wedding everyone anticipated for months. 

In the early morning, Louis called Eleanor through her cell and told her of his plans. When the preacher says, ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace’, Louis will object to their wedding. He gives her his apologies and tells her that he just loves Harry so much, that is his chance. “I’m just telling you so you won’t appear so shocked.” 

Eleanor takes it as a sign. Not knowing better, she thinks that that is her opportunity to run away on her own. Not telling Louis, she decides to tell her driver to drop her off the airport in her wedding gown. She thinks that Louis will have to ask Harry’s hand in marriage without her being there and looking like an accomplice (or stupid) in the first place. This is also her chance. 

Gigi receives a distress call from Eleanor’s driver. She is just at the church door with her sister and the other bridesmaids, and they (the threatened driver, Eleanor and the cameraman who was knocked unconscious) have not driven far away, thank God. She tells Bella to warn Taylor and hails a taxi to follow the runaway bride. 

Selena, Cara, Ellie, and Kendall are parked quietly at the backyard of the church. They notice another car in there. And they are mortified to see Harry getting off said vehicle. They know that the British lad is up to no good, thinking that whatever reason he’s there and not inside the church will affect Taylor’s absurd plan. They ambush him. They don’t hear Harry’s protest. 

“Louis is waiting for me! Get off me!” 

They lock him up inside a meditating room. 

Louis is looking at a massive amount of people in the cathedral. He is hiding behind a curtain, wanting to see if Harry’s already there. But the curly-haired lad is nowhere to be found. The wedding ceremony is set to start by ten. It is now 9:45. Louis is fuming. Why didn’t Harry attend? That fucker. 

Suddenly, Liam is pulling him. 

“Louis, I want to tell y—” 

“Fuck off, Li.” 

“Don’t do this, L—” 

“I said fuck off.” 

“Run away—” 

“Get off my back.” 

“Louis, you’re not the kind of b—” 

“I said leave me alone!” then he storms off and goes to his designated spot in front of the altar. The crowd becomes livelier and louder. Liam just rolls his eyes. Then he stops when he is faced with a dilemma. Should he wait by Louis’ side or go search for Harry? But the ceremony might start soon. 

Taylor managed to sneak up to the balcony where the choir is. _This should be easy,_ she thinks. _I should just hide behind a curtain and wait for Eleanor to—Ed?!_

“Ed?!” she asks loudly. The redhead is hiding behind a curtain too, her supposed-to-be-spot. 

“Taylor, what are you doing here?” Ed asks. Around them the choir members are staring and gossiping among themselves. 

“I should ask the same thing. What are you planning huh?” 

“Nothing.” But he looks really suspicious. “I’m not ruining anything.” 

Someone is calling Taylor below but she does not hear it. She’s busy thinking what could her friend be doing up there. What is he—did he just – is there something – wait, ‘ruining’? 

“What will you ruin, Ed? Tell me or I will regret the day you became my friend.” 

“None of your damn business, Taylor.” 

“What?” She hits him once in the shoulder. “Tell me!” 

“Lay off!” 

“Taylor! Taylor!” It is Bella, climbing the balcony because damn Miss Swift is not listening. “Taylor!” 

“Go back to your position, Bella!” Taylor says and hits the cursing Ed one more time. “Eleanor is coming soon!” 

“Tay, please. Listen!” 

“What?!” Taylor asks and finally faces her. 

“Eleanor ran away!” 

There are more murmurs now. Like a domino effect, the word travels from the balcony to the crowd sitting below. “Eleanor Calder ran away.” “The bride is gone.” “Runaway bride.” Traveling and traveling until it reaches the front of the church then to Louis who shrieks, “WHAT THE FUCK?!” In embarrassment, he runs away to the back of the church. Liam is about to follow him, but the priest begins to question him on what should he do now. And honestly, Liam couldn’t live that old man alone. 

“Shit,” Taylor says and looks forlorn. “What about my plans? My feet-sweeping gesture? My song?” 

Bella has no time for dramatics now. She already made a mistake by blurting out about the runaway Eleanor. She pulls Taylor to her and whispers to her ear, “She’s on her way to the airport. On her way to America to see you.” 

“Oh, my God! But I’m here!” Taylor says. “I’ve got to stop her!” So she leaves the balcony but without giving Ed another punch on his shoulder. She calls for a cab and forgets that her squad is still waiting at the back with no knowledge of what just happened. 

The crowd is uncontrollable, Liam and the priest are confused and Ed feels useless. Catastrophe. That went on for a long while until Niall gets an idea. 

So that is how the “wedding of the century” turns out to be the “biggest wedding-mishap of the century”. Other sources dab it as the “most comedic publicity stunt” and “most laugh-out-loud ceremony of the millennium.” But at least no one has gotten hurt. 

When Taylor got to the airport, she is already too late. Eleanor has flown. It is for another five hours before Gigi and she found her crying in her doorstep of her house in the states. Eleanor’s still in her wedding gown and she still looks so beautiful. Taylor embraces her like her life depends on it, and when Eleanor calms down, they kiss. They said their vows and Gigi pronounces them as married. 

Louis sulks and hides inside the church for hours, until it is late in the afternoon. When all is quiet and he is sure everyone has gone home (he really doesn’t want to face disgrace right now), he comes out of his hiding place. That’s when he hears the loud thuds coming from inside the meditating room. Well, he just watched _The Sixth Sense_ the other day so he is scared as fuck. When the thuds became louder and then accompanied by a, “I will kill you once I get out of here!” he cries loudly in fear. 

“Louis, is that you?” the voice from the other side of the room says. 

“Harry?” 

“Louis, open the door!” 

Louis does. Harry immediately pulls him to an embrace once freed. He kisses him and Louis kisses back and they could have make out right there and then when Harry thinks of something. “Did you get married?” Harry asks. _Was I too late?_

“No,” the shorter boy says with a shake of a head and tears in his eyes. “Eleanor ran away. And I… I’ve been searching for you! I had a plan! I was going to ask you to marry me in front of them!” 

Harry kisses his tears away. _There will be time. We have time. We have us. We can get married right now, or tomorrow, or anytime you want. And I will shout to the world that you’re mine. Only mine. And I’m yours._

Harry and Louis exit the church all giddy and laughing and in love. Selena spots this. They, who fell asleep inside the car waiting for Taylor and Eleanor, finally learn the story from Louis. The girls offer them a ride. Cara takes out a cardboard and a marker from… somewhere and writes “Just Married” in bold letters. She ties it at the back of their car. And that’s all people see when they drive Harry and Louis around London to the train station: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and “Just Married.” 

And what happened in the church beforehand? 

Liam is still at the altar with the priest and Ed is still with the wedding choir. Niall grabs Bella’s scarf and drapes it over his head. He also takes the model’s little bouquet and gives a signal to Ed above to play a song. 

The church becomes quiet once more as they hear Ed Sheeran singing ‘Thinking Out Loud’. They take in another happening. Who is that little shit walking down the aisle? Is that Niall Horan? Is he going to marry Liam Payne? 

The man on the altar has a look on his face that says, “Are you serious? This can’t be happening.” However when Niall is getting nearer, he finally wraps his around the idea and realizes that he doesn’t mind. Not at all. Of course he wants to marry that little bleached-blonde boy. He relaxes and just waits with great anticipation for the Irish lad—his husband-to-be. He turns to the priest and happily says, “Yes. This is what will happen.” 

Liam and Niall exchange vows before the church, the media, all the world, (except for the management who can’t keep their shit together as they are looking for Louis and Harry and also chasing after Eleanor and Taylor.) Liam and Niall also host the extravagant reception prepared, they got their first dance as an unpremeditated wedding couple, and they got the ticket to Hawaii for a month-long honeymoon. 

Niam wins. 

THE END


End file.
